1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game processing method, game apparatus, game program, and storage media for playing an action game or other game with a computer by a player, and in particular relates to a game processing method, game apparatus, game program, and storage media for enhancing the game-playing performance of the action game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer games which employ the data processing and image processing functions of computers are in wide use. Such computer games include fighting games, war games, exploration games, and other action games. In such action games, in addition to a sense of virtual realism, action performances are also required in order to further elicit player interest.
For example, in some action games an enemy is set to oppose the player, and the player defeats the enemy appearing on the screen. A game console is operated to move the player in all directions on the screen, approaching or moving away from the enemy when he appears, avoiding the enemies attacks, or attacking the enemy.
In such an action game, various performance effects are provided in order to heighten the interest of the player. For example, the player character on the screen may be caused to split into copies or branch, or afterimages may be displayed accompanying movement of the player character (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 7-328228).
The effect of such splitting into branch characters and afterimages is to increase the sense of visual realism and provide the game with a performance aspect. Also, in such action games, normally game play is evaluated in simplistic terms as the number of points scored when enemy A is defeated, the number of points scored when enemy B is defeated, and so on. That is, the object of evaluation is made simple, and upon accumulation of such evaluations, after the game ends a performance is given according to the evaluation.
However, there is a problem that branch character-splitting and afterimages of conventional game screens are merely performance effects for display, and are not game-related performance effects which enhance the game action with respect to the enemy, and thus not contributing to the action attributes of the game itself.